Taylor and King first met - briefly - in the 60s at the Night Owl Café in Greenwich Village. James was a shy teenager. Carole, although only in her mid-twenties, was already a legendary songwriter, but not yet a performer. She began finding her way toward being comfortable as an entertainer as part of James Taylor's band. Taylor's version of King's "You've Got a Friend" became a number one hit in the summer of 1971 and won a Grammy. In that same year, King's album 'Tapestry' reached number one and stayed there for a remarkable 15 weeks. It would eventually sell 22 million copies. Despite this success, King carried on touring with Taylor. They played L.A.'s Troubadour in the spring for a two-week co-starring run.'
At Thanksgiving in 2007, James and Carole returned to the Troubadour for a sentimental journey through their old set list, including performances of the pair's most beloved hits such as "You've Got a Friend", King's "So Far Away," "It's Too Late," and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?", as well as Taylor's "Carolina in My Mind," "Sweet Baby James," and "Fire and Rain," to name just a few.
Fire & Rain
James Taylor & Carole King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
Won't you look down upon me, Jesus
You've got to help me make a stand
You've just got to see me through another day
My body's aching and my time is at hand
I won't make it any other way
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again
Been walking my mind to an easy time, my back turned towards the sun
Lord knows when the cold wind blows, it'll turn your head around
Well there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you baby, one more time again, now
Thought I'd see you one more time again
There's just a few things coming my way this time around now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain now
Na na na. Na na na na na na na na na na. Na na na na na na na na
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you baby, one more time again, now
Thought I'd see you one more time again
There's just a few things coming my way this time around now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain now
The song "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor & Carole King is believed to be an autobiographical song, inspired by the events in James Taylor's life. The lyrics describe the singer's mixed emotions, from the pain of losing a friend to the hope of making it through hard times. The first verse refers to a phone call the singer received, informing him of the death of his childhood friend, Suzanne. The plans they made, likely referring to their shared plans and dreams for the future, are now brought to an end by her passing. The second verse finds the singer looking for solace, seeking the help of Jesus, and acknowledging the physical and emotional pain he's going through.
The chorus "I've seen fire and I've seen rain" depicts the ups and downs of the singer's life. He has experienced moments of joy and warmth, but also moments of despair, where he couldn't find anyone to lean on. Despite all that, he always believed he would see his friend Suzanne again. In the third verse, the singer reflects on his life, walking his mind to an easy time, talking on the phone with someone about the future, and dreaming. But reality hits hard, in the form of "cold wind," and the dreams are shattered, with "flying machines in pieces on the ground."
Overall, the song portrays the fragility of life, the grief of losing a loved one, and the hope of finding solace and strength to carry on. James Taylor's and Carole King's poignant harmonies add to the tragic beauty of this iconic song.
Line by Line Meaning
Just yesterday mornin', they let me know you were gone
I was told that you had passed away just yesterday morning
Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you
Your plans got cut short and you were taken away, Suzanne
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
As soon as I found out, I wrote this song in memory of you
I just can't remember who to send it to
I'm not sure who to share it with now that you're gone
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
Through my life, I've experienced good and bad times
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
Times of pure happiness that seemed like they would last forever
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
I've felt completely alone with no one to turn to
But I always thought that I'd see you again
Even in tough times, I held onto the hope that we would be reunited
Won't you look down upon me, Jesus
I'm reaching out to God for guidance and help
You've got to help me make a stand
I need strength and courage to get through another day without you
You've just got to see me through another day
I'm asking for divine support to make it through this difficult time
My body's aching and my time is at hand
I am physically and emotionally drained and feel like my time may be running out as well
I won't make it any other way
I can't survive this loss on my own
Been walking my mind to an easy time, my back turned towards the sun
I've nostalgically remembered happier days, trying to distract myself from the pain
Lord knows when the cold wind blows, it'll turn your head around
Life's unexpected hardships can really throw you off course
Well there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come
There's a lot of time for conversation and anticipation of the future
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground
Despite dreams of a better tomorrow, things often don't go as planned
Thought I'd see you one more time again
I always had the expectation that we'd meet again
There's just a few things coming my way this time around now
There are only a few things left for me in this lifetime
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain now
I hoped I'd see you again, no matter what the circumstances
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@merricc6911
Only a great artist can transform tragedy into beauty 💜
@simonedevlin7710
Such a beautiful performance with James Taylor and Carole King.They both gave the best version of Fire and Rain that I have seen.Thank you both.
@luciotavares1978
Love this song! Amazing artist James Taylor!
@bubblegumgamingtgfindlayro4551
Excellent vocals, excellent,lyrics,excellent melodies, excellent song.🏴🎤🎸🎹🙏 I will continue to learn ❤️
@ciceropereira7645
Que linda amo essa música
@margotlincoln6584
Ah what a lovely song so many years ago I almost forgot how wonderful James Taylor is. Thank you.
@lorigorham534
I brought my son who was 16 at the time to the 2010 concert in mass. He enjoyed it. I wanted him to experience James and Caroles music that I had experienced at his age.
@samsticka
Now that I think about it, has there ever been a time over the years when James sang this and the audience raised their arms and slowly swayed them left and right?
@cindyinnew
One of the best songs ever written
@pattycooper2486
Love all the sweet memories listening to this brings back!